


It's hard to compromise when I see through your eyes

by Xicana



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, One Shot, Political Alliances, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xicana/pseuds/Xicana
Summary: Korra defends Republic City and the Earth Kingdom the only way she can by putting her aspirations to rest.orKorra tries to move on from rejection by throwing herself into work.
Relationships: Korra & Asami Sato, Korra/Kuvira (Avatar)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	It's hard to compromise when I see through your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written for this fandom before, so I hope it's not that poorly executed. I personally love the series, but I decided to modify the storyline to accommodate this one shot better. 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> All mistakes are mine alone because I have no editing guidance whatsoever. Regardless, enjoy it!

Korra tries to take it in stride, but Su and Lin's solemn faces burn into her mind. Their collective fear and uncertainty is the only answer she needs for her to spring into action. 

So when the sisters tell her that they're down to two options, she offers to battle Kuvira even if it means death because even in death, she's sure she won't find peace. Only another opportunity to ponder over what could've been and should've been. 

She shrugs because at least it'll be better off for the people.

Kuvira's sharp features and perfectly sculpted brows harden further when Korra's dialogue agitates her, almost pushing for banter. 

Kuvira matches her blow for blow, and Korra lags in slight awe of her opponent's expertise. The finesse of her dodges, the clean punches, and the earth bending ability. Her body out of practice slows down at the worst moment—Korra's hallucination returns, and it is just enough for her opponent to gain the upper hand.

Pulse racing and sweat pooling, she glares at Kuvira in frustration as the rocks grip her hands firmly against her body. She struggles futilely.

"It looks like you've worn yourself out. How the mighty Avatar has fallen." Korra clenches her teeth as she fights unconsciousness and the grip on her arms. 

Kuvira's lips pull into a thin smirk, and Korra feels her skin crawl at the gesture. 

"Well, there's another way." Korra nearly passes out as the words slip past smirking lips. "An allegiance or pledge." 

Korra's ears ring as Opal screams from the sidelines, "No, Korra--." She tunes her out as Kuvira steps into the sightline, preventing her from seeing Opal's panicked features. 

"I'm not stupid, Kuvira." Korra groans as she shifts and finally breaks from the hold on the rocks. "This will only end badly for you. You invade Ba Sing Sae, and you'll go down in history as a tyrant. If you stop now, we can figure something out." 

Hand placed in the dirt, Korra tries to lift herself from the ground, but she feels a sharp pain in her ankle. She gasps as a firm hand wraps around her midsection, and another arm sweeps her legs from beneath her. She hears Kuvira's soft grunt as she lifts her with minimal effort, and Korra fights the urge to snap at the general. 

It's then that she realizes what her best route is for minimizing conflict. The only method that's never failed Korra so far in her life is doing so now. With an opponent like Kuvira, Korra had to focus on diplomacy. So the best course of action glared into Korra's mind.

Kuvira's strong neck turns to the side, and she calls to her troops. "Fall back and wait for my next directive." Turning to face Korra, she continues in the same volume, and the Avatar flinches. "Bring me the Beifong sisters. There will be no invasion or fight for the time being." 

Kuvira limps slightly and brings Korra along toward a seething Opal. "You bit--"

"Opal!" Korra's voice startles her, but she ignores the hurt looks from Suyin's child before turning to Jinora. "Give me an hour, and I'll fix this, I promise." 

Inside Su's office, both women wait for the sisters to join them, but Korra distrustingly glares at Kuvira as she approaches her. 

The Avatar stares in disbelief as Kuvira, with gentle expertise, helps mend her small sprain with her hands. Korra bites back a yelp as she feels the injury melt away with the handwork. 

"Su always said you were talented, far beyond the rest, but I'd never understood it until now." Korra stares directly into fern green eyes. Their color emboldened by the black eyebrows perched on top. "If you stop your path of self-destruction, we can still salvage your reputation. You can avoid prison." 

Green eyes bore into her, and Korra, never one to back away from confrontation, stares back with matching vigor. "Marry me then." 

Korra gapes at her and flounders around for a while. "What?" She manages to sputter out finally.

"The only way to assure my freedom and your freedom is to wed. If we don't, what's stopping the world leaders from punishing me for my supposed crime, and if I succeed, then what's stopping me from destroying Republic city?" 

Korra's heart vies for the affection of the only person she couldn't have, and sitting there in confusion and physical pain is when she realizes she needs to fulfill her role as protector of peace. Although she wishes for the affection of someone else entirely, she knows its impossible. At least now, its a blessing in disguise.

Her choices limited; she acknowledges that hopelessly waiting for her unrequited feelings to be returned is a waste of her time.

"If I agree, then we're at a standstill, understood?" Korra reaches her palm outward. "I convince the leadership to cease corrective action, and you stop your troops. We'll figure out the rest after, but I need you to promise." 

Korra's uncertainty melts away at the assurance she sees in those green eyes.

Kuvira grabs Korra's hand and firmly shakes it. 

"You have my word." 

The door slams open moments before Lin comes charging in with Su on her heels. The eldest Beifong reaches for her utility built, but Su's hand on her wrist stops her from inciting violence. 

Su's intuitive gaze glances around the office before landing on the duo. The environment they walked into was void of any tension or destruction. Korra's eyes meet Su's across the room, and she thanks the spirits the sisters made up. Korra could only do so much to calm the chief down.

"Lin-"

"Suyin, enough!" Her palm slams into the table with enough force to shift it. "You have a soft spot for this tyrant. You did what you could, but justice must be delivered swiftly." 

Korra quickly sees the conversation spiraling before her eyes, and she locks eyes with Kuvira. Deep green eyes glisten in understanding, and that's all Korra needs to intervene with a story. 

"Kuvira and I met one another the night she helped save me from Saheer." She fights back a shiver at the unsettling memories unfolding before her. "Su and Lin, please. The best route of action is to marry one another and use our wedding to promote stability in the Earth Kingdom." Korra's lips feel dry with the absolute lies coming from her mouth. "Kuvira promises to step down and remain captain. If we forcefully remove her, then it'll leave a power vacuum."

Lin's face hardens in consideration of their proposed solution. Her rugged features scarily resemble Toph at the moment, and Korra tries to think on her feet to convince the two leaders, but blanks. "What do you gain from doing this?"

Korra moves to interject and salvage what's left of their plan, but a raspy voice sounds throughout the room. 

"I've had my sight set on Korra since Saheer." Korra's head snaps around to see the serious look on the Earth bender's handsome features. "I just want her, but the consequences that follow will only benefit everyone else."

"Explain." Lin, straight to the point as always, leans forward. Su sits down in the armchair nearest to her with her hands clasped on her lap. 

"As Korra stated, if I step down, there's a vacuum of power left. A coronation will only anger the civilians more and create a bigger divide in the kingdom." A hand pushes back loose strands of black hair. "The best possible solution is to dissolve the monarchy in favor of democratically elected leadership."

Su stares blankly at the table, before lifting her wide eyes. "That actually sounds wonderful, but how do we convince Prince Wu to follow through with that?" 

Lin glares at Kuvira's smirk before speaking. "She's right. Makko told me Prince Wu doesn't care for the leadership role, just the image." With a sigh, she rubs a hand on her face. "Korra, what are we even discussing--?"

Face set in stone and lips pursed, she looks up. "Lin, it's what I want." _Not really_. "We can end the conflict before it escalates, and," _holy_ _fuck_ , "we get married." 

Lin nods and misses the desperation on Korra's face, but not her younger sister. Su sees right through her. Su notes the fear, hurt, and confusion floating in those expressive blue orbs. She knows it's not what Korra wants, but simply what the world needs. Korra desires happiness, but they both know her source of joy comes from Future Industries CEO. 

So Su bites her tongue and hopes her troublesome child can bring some semblance of light to the Avatar's life. Although Kuvira was a problematic child, Su knew what she was capable of in the long run. 

So she remains quiet. Otherwise, this precarious balance will fall into disorderly chaos. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weeks before the proposal, and a couple of months from the wedding, something shifts between the pair. 

Korra sits in her bedroom within the Beifong residences of Ba Sing Sae, and she feels restless. The moon glows perfectly in the sky as she lays on the window sill. She wishes she could change everything, but she knows its pointless. 

Kuvira basically shows little or no interest in socializing more throughout their time together, and now Korra's concern grows. Will she be able to maintain this false image for long? Was this it? She marries Kuvira and dies buried beside her while knowing nothing of her? 

With a groan, she gets up from her position and makes her way toward the door. She makes it past all the other rooms in her wing with practiced ease, all while holding her breath. Gently she eases the last door closed and stops to ensure no one hears the sound. 

Eyes shut, she listens intently and lets out the breath she was holding. 

Her feet pad gently on the stone, and she listens to the night breeze as it whispers in her ear. Eyes shut, she tries to allow her surroundings to guide her through the pathways. 

The gentle vibrations on her feet, indicating she was nearing the water fountain. Korra strains to listen, and she cries out in success. She can hear the soft sounds of water splashing into the fountain. 

When she opens her eyes, she stops short. 

Kuvira's slouched form sits on the ledge, and Korra stares in curiosity. 

Her shoulders, always proud and rolled back, are now bowed down with an invisible force. The usual proud woman sits there in defeat, and Korra wonders whats wrong. 

So against her better judgment, she sits down on the ledge beside her. Kuvira's low pony whips around. Her perfect features twisted in anger, but not fast enough because Korra manages to catch a glimpse of her saddened features. A brief lapse of character is enough for Korra to humanize her. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Are you alright, Kuvira?" 

Kuvira's answering scoff is enough to confirm that she won't get anywhere with that route. 

"I always come here." Taking a risk, she continues. "When I feel the walls closing in on me and my chest ready to cave. The fountain is enough to unwind me." Korra looks at the small spouts of water spewing streams. "Something about the sound of water in the same repetitive motions reminds me of simpler times." 

She notices Kuvira's head turn toward her from the edge of her vision, so she pretends not to notice. 

"I would come here when I needed to calm down after a flare-up." Korra looks forward and fights the urge to look over out of fear that Kuvira will stop sharing. "I had anger issues." The small silence that follows is loud before Kuvira backtracks. "Well, I still do, but it's more refined anger." 

Korra laughs, and she can't help it. She doubles over and looks at Kuvira's upset appearance through watery eyes. "Same." Korra finally calms down enough to speak. "I am literally the same. I was an arrogant little kid with little potential for much beside irritating opponents to death before I beat them to a pulp."

Kuvira's brow twitches in curiosity. "You still talk to your parents?" 

"Well, yeah. They gave me to the white lotus for training, but they did it out of love. I was too rowdy at six, so it only promised to get worse without any guidance." Korra inquisitively glances at her companion. "Why?"

"Su took me in when I nearly killed my birth Mother." She hesitates before shaking her head. "So technically not really the same..."

"Are you serious right now? We're competing to see who was the worst kid with the worst track record?"

"No." Korra stiffens as she waits for the other shoe to drop, but Kuvira's silence eases her into a false sense of security. So she nearly shoves her into the fountain when she speaks.

"That would insinuate we're within range of one another." 

The atmosphere between them shifts enough to where Su notices the small differences. The women train more often with one another. However, the blows lesson every time, and the distance between them follows soon after. 

Korra quickly realizes Kuvira is always in control. Even in social events leading up to the proposal, the Avatar finds it humorous how regal the woman held herself.

However, here at one of the many social events that they attend for publicity, Korra's breath hitches, and her smile drops as she takes in long, silk black hair. Without so much as sparing a glance at her companions, Korra darts.

She quickly moves to run outside, the bathroom, anywhere but where she currently stood. She excuses herself and maneuvers her way past clumps of people. The door in sight, Korra rushes to yank it open, but a figure intercepts her clear path to the door. 

"Please, give me a second to explain." 

Korra's shoulder's square, and she clenches her jaw tightly to avoid tearing into the person. 

Completely tired and ready to end the night early, she shoves her way past and ignores the call after her. A hand reaches out to latch onto her elbow and wrangles her back to face the source of her once dreams now turned nightmares. Tongue poised and ready to attack, Korra unleashes her best apathetic appearance. 

"Explain what?" 

That surely does the trick because Asami steps back as if struck by her voice's sheer neutrality. Korra hates it, but the satisfaction of hurting the person who hurt her the most, more than Saheer ever could, rears its head with little to no remorse. 

"Listen, please." Asami's voice wavers, but Korra's seething rage wins over her desire to comfort her. With a scoff, Korra rolls her eyes. Of course, she'd mistaken a soullike connection with the engineer. She was younger and less experienced; there's no excuse now. "You never answered my letter's and I waited--"

"After you rejected me." 

"What?" 

"Well," Korra's voice comes out convincingly neutral even through the agony she feels. "If we're honest. There's nothing really to explain." She avoids looking directly at those bright green eyes in fear that she'll discover her feelings never waned. "You said no. We're both past this, and you're happy. Why dig it up?" 

Asami's grip on her elbow tightens as her control over the encounter dwindles by the second. 

A firm arm snakes around Korra, and she tenses before relaxing into the one-sided embrace. She looks away to avoid the look of hurt on Asami's features. 

"Ms. Sato, I believe we've only met once before, but under unfortunate circumstances." Korra looks up and ignores Kuvira's burning stare by looking at Asami. 

"Korra, I-- what?" Asami's eyes focus in on Kuvira's arm. 

"We'd love to stay and chat, but we have some meetings to attend." The arm encasing her feels restrictive as if it prevents her from running for freedom. "Good evening, Ms. Sato." 

Korra forces herself to face forward as the arm guides her to their car. She ignores the tightness in her throat and the tears pooling in her eyes. Korra focuses on Kuvira's story, but the entire time she is unable to remain attentive. Her eyes focus on her mouth, but her voice falls off. Pressure builds in her head and ears. So she just nods and smiles when there's a pause.

Weeks later, Korra's cheeks flush as a reporter calls her name before blinding her with a photograph. 

She fights the urge to flinch but still steps back, smacking into the person beside her. 

Korra tries to jump away, but a strong arm wraps around her waist, pulling her into their side. Kuvira's smirk irritates Korra as she's stuck in this position to avoid suspicion for pulling away or retaliating by jabbing her on the side. 

Much to her surprise, Kuvira's smirk drops, and a reassuring look graces her features as she leans down to whisper in Korra's ear, "It'll work out. Trust me." 

Korra can't help but exhale in relief and lean into the grip on her waist. Her nerves threaten to grow when Kuvira approaches the stage beside Prince Wu and begins her practiced speech. 

She barely notices the crowd as they listen intently to Kuvira's address. The severe posture, slim body, and strong voice strike a chord within Korra. The woman intent on turning the troops over to Prince Wu fascinates Korra, but she would never admit it. 

However, her blush deepens as Kuvira calls her from her thoughts and leads her to the stage. Probably to help her image of peace and diplomacy, but her curious stare is cut short by Kuvira's metal armor clanking as she dips to one knee.

She doesn't have time to panic before the crowd erupts in a cry of cheers, and Korra stares into comforting eyes. 

"Yes, I'll marry you." Her signature smile, she does her best job at acting the role of a happy couple.

Korra hides her tear-filled eyes from the cameras and the spectators' greedy sights by burying her face into the taller woman's chest. Korra shakily exhales as she wraps her arms around Kuvira. 

Their chemistry is palpable, and Korra tries her best to fight it, but Kuvira knows just how to get under her skin. 

She doesn't plan for it, but she takes it in stride just like the hand buried into her hair, shoving her face down into the bed. 

She bites into the pillow with every vicious thrust. Their coupling sounds throughout the room and only further turns the brunette on beyond comprehension. 

The overpowering smell of sweat, sex, and shame invade Korra's senses. She barely manages to register her surroundings as the attached appendage moves in and out of her with a skill only someone with Kuvira's athleticism can achieve.

A particularly well-placed thrust causes her to moan into the sheets so unabashedly that Korra hardly cares to measure her reactions for her image's sake. The fear of someone overhearing escapes her mind. Never has she been so thoroughly fucked within an inch of her life. Never had a single person turned her on to the point of mindless babbling. 

_You only wish someone had,_ she thinks bitterly. 

"What a sight." Kuvira's voice drifts into her ears, bringing her out of her thoughts. "If only the people could see their beloved Avatar now, bowed, wet, and willing." 

Korra's eyes roll back into her head as the hand in her hair tugs by the root only to shove her deeper into the pillow. She bites the fabric between her teeth in the hopes of muting her noises, but it's useless. 

Because Kuvira had other plans, another hand travels from her ribcage down to her hips and lifts her to her knees, ensuring the toy never slips from Korra. 

The new position grants her mouth free reign, and Korra's moans escape her without remorse. "Gah," her thighs tremble as she struggles to keep her knees firmly planted, but the toe-curling sensation of the tip rubbing deliciously against a tender spot inside of her makes it nearly impossible. 

Desperate, she throws herself back into the bruising grip on her hips and the glorious rhythm. The brunette loses herself in a haze. A frenzied Korra nearly loses it when teeth harshly bite into her neck, and Kuvira's firm breasts press onto her back. 

However, even overwhelmed and turned on beyond belief, Korra knows she needs something else. 

Desperate and just the right amount of willing, she taps Kuvira's thigh for her to stop. So she patiently waits for her to maneuver herself until she lays upright against the headboard. 

Black locks of unruly hair stick to her glistening forehead, and Korra couldn't be more in awe, but a painful pounding in her chest bring unsolicited comparisons into the moment. Asami back in her mind. Another beautiful woman with black hair and a bold personality that made her choices.

Made her choices and threw Korra aside. 

Gritting her teeth, she refocuses as Kuvira's nails dig into her thighs. 

Motivated by the blown pupils on her partner, the gasping breath through parted lips and green hooded eyes, Korra maintains steady eye contact with Kuvira as she throws her leg over the woman's lap. Only to line herself up and slowly sink onto her lap. 

The new position is everything to them. 

Korra sees stars as every movement rubs her deliciously in the same go. Kuvira looks up at her from underneath hooded eyes as she tightens her grip on her hips, grinding Korra down, pressing against the insert more. 

Suddenly, it makes sense to her. 

It could be the inexplicable way the brazen woman understands her body and anticipates her needs, but the brunette's mind loses itself in a trance. 

Once fern green eyes now resemble fresh moss, as they bore into her depths. She fights back a wave of unsolicited tears as she realizes even in the throes of passion, she misses someone else. The dark green eyes are not the shade she desires. Even staring face-to-face with Kuvira, she dreams of different features. 

Hands claw at her back and bring her chest to chest with the domineering woman. The intimacy of the hug aids Korra's arousal. Skin slicked with sweat, lips parted vying for breath, she tumbles over the edge, and she fears her eyes will permanently remain rolled back into her head.

The sounds of their skin meeting and their shared breathy whispers echo throughout the sizeable space. Soft cries continue well into the night and give way to the morning. Birds chirp, and Korra lies wide awake as a heavy arm lays across her stomach, tugging her into a firm front. 

She shivers as the words travel across her cheek and into her ear. "Sooner or later, thoughts of others will leave your mind. But until then, I'll help. However, I can." 

Back to Kuvira, Korra's tears roll down her face and onto the pillow. The woman's voice echos in her mind. 

She wishes she was right, but even though she tries, Korra's heart remains clenched between Asami's fist. 


End file.
